It takes a lot of heart to win in boxing. It’s even harder to repeat as a champion.

Melanie Costa of Norton has proven she’s got the goods to win a title, not just once but twice.

Costa recently retained her 119-pound National Golden Gloves bantamweight title by winning four fights in four nights — including the championship bout against Amanda Pavone, at the 2013 Women’s National Tournament of Champions in the Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Airport ballroom in Dania Beach, Fla.

“It was a great feeling,” Costa said. “It was tougher this year. I had four fights in a row and the fighters had better technique.”

The 20-year-old boxer and 2011 Norton High School graduate won the Golden Gloves title last year after beating Rosalinda Rodriguez in the finals during a three-day, single-elimination tournament in Deerfield Beach, Fla.

“I won last year and I got to win again,” Costa said.

She added, “It was the greatest feeling yet. The boxers want what I want. But I tell myself I trained harder. I’m working out when they weren’t. My mentality is much stronger and I was able to push through whatever they threw at me.”

Costa picked up her first amateur technical knockout (TKO) in the first bout during preliminaries and even defeated the No. 1 ranked challenger the following day.

The final two fights, Costa showed the will down the stretch to take home the gold.

“I’m proud of her,” said Melanie’s trainer and dad John Costa. “She has been training before this tournament at least three months, six days a week. She has been training at Manfredo’s gym in Pawtucket at least twice a week, doing a lot of sparring two or three times a week and jogging seven days a week. She has to want it and she does.”

Prior to defended her title, Melanie Costa won the 2012 New England Gold Glove championship, was named the 2011 Rocky Marciano champion, the 2010 Fall River Police Athletic League champion and 2010 bronze medal national winner in Texas.

“Being a father and being involved with her boxing, of course, I like to see her do great,” John Costa said. “It worked out for the best in Florida and we came home with the gold.”

Golden Gloves of America, Inc. is an amateur boxing organization that began as a citywide tournament in Chicago, according to the organization’s website. Since its first tournament in 1923, Golden Gloves has produced boxing superstars such as Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, among many others.

Starting block

Most of Costa’s success over the last few years has come from watchful eyes of her father John, Bobby Cananzey and trainer coach Abimael “Bime” Cruz.

Page 2 of 3 -
Costa trains faithfully at Cruz Boxing Academy — now based out of Mendes Martial Arts in Taunton. She also trains at Manfredo’s gym in Pawtucket.

Costa first approached her father during her early teenage stage and said he would like to box. John Costa didn’t know what to expect.

“When she came to me and said she wanted to box, I figured it would be one of those,” John Costa said. “She is going to try and not going to like it. But she ended up liking it and been doing that since.”

Costa said she liked the sport and the technique that goes with it. She doesn’t even mind to take a couple of shots to the head by her opponent.

“It is really intense and you really have to love it,” she said. “You can’t just like the sport. It is not like something you go out there with your teammates in other sports. You have to like getting hit. When you go into that ring, you have to remember everything. It is an independent sport.”

Costa’s daily routine consists of waking up in the morning and having a quick breakfast.

She prefers to run in the peak of the day when it’s hot and then takes short breaks. Costa then heads to Manfredo’s gym or the Mendes Martial Arts location to either spar with an opponent, use the mitts, jump rope and even hit the bag. She would then retire for the evening and do it all over again the next day.

“There are many times I did not want to go to the gym,” Costa said. “I did not want to go outside, especially with the hot weather we have been getting lately. I did not want to go running or have my sneakers on. But in the back of your mind, you tell yourself you have to go. No one is going to push you, except yourself. “

Sometimes Costa and her dad would occasionally butt heads when it came to training regimes. But Costa certainly appreciates her dad’s efforts when it was all said and done.

“At first it’s like, ‘oh it is my dad,”’ she said. “He is already telling me stuff at home. I don’t know how this was going to work out. But he knows enough to tell me what I’m doing wrong and what the other girl is doing. You don’t listen to everything but you have to take it in. He sees a lot of things I don’t see.”

Like all good parents, John Costa know when to push his daughter’s button.

“The better people you spar, the better it is for you,” he said.

Page 3 of 3 -
“You have to work against the best so this way you want to do as good as them. That’s how you become a better fighter and a better person.”

Future Consideration

Costa hopes to keep winning each national tournaments she attends as well as pursuing a professional boxing career. Her main goal is to try out for the 2016 Olympics games and make the team.

“That is my main thing right now I’m looking,” said Costa about making the U.S.A. squad.

“That’s what I’m training for. After that I want to pursue a professional career whether I make to the Olympics or not I’m going to turn pro.”

Costa plans to one day open up her gym for different sports.

“It’s not only for boxing but a little bit of everything.” she smiled.

John Costa, who lives with his wife Maria and Melanie’s older brother Matthew Costa, 25, will do anything in his power to help his daughter achieve her goals.

“It is not my goal but her goal,” John Costa said. “I am going to do whatever I can to help her reach that goal. I’m proud of both of my kids, proud of her of what she accomplished.”